(New York, NY) City trees may not seem like a big attraction for teenagers on their summer vacation from school. But Hopeworks ‘N Camden, with help from a $10,000 grant from EPA, gave a group of Camden, New jersey teens a new mission: measuring and mapping their city’s tree locations. Students received training as urban foresters, learned a whole lot about why trees are important to the environment, and sampled a career path they probably never thought about before. EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg today presented a check for the grant to Hopeworks ‘N Camden’s Executive Director Father Jeff Putthoff, SJ at a ceremony in Camden.

“One way to improve the environment in cities is to give tomorrow’s adults, today’s teens, a better understanding of the importance of trees and green spaces in urban centers,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “The world of careers in the environment is expanding. The hands-on experiences these teens had can change their vision of their own futures and benefit the environment too.”

Hopeworks ‘N Camden’s Summer 2006 City Greene Survey taught students about the role of trees in improving urban air quality, trained them in urban forestry, tree surveying procedures, the use of Geographic Information Systems and data analysis and prepared them to present their results at public events. More information about Hopeworks ‘N Camden and the programs it provides to at-risk youth can be found at http://www.hopeworks.org/.

Hopeworks received the grant through EPA’s Environmental Education Grants Program. EPA’s environmental education grants are awarded annually through a competitive process at the regional and national level. The grants focus on environmental career development, improving teaching skills, education reform, community and health issues and increasing the ability of educational organizations and agencies to deliver environmental education programs. For more information go to https://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html.